Happy New Year everyone! How are y’all feeling now that 2020 is officially a thing of the past?

Not only that, but we’re almost done with January 2021, can y’all believe it? We’re four whole weeks into 2021 – which felt like four months in pandemic time – so it’s definitely time to talk about goals for the new year. Or, we can just call them by their much hated name, New Year’s Resolutions. 

With this blog post, I want to share how I create my own goals list every year and, at the same time, help you develop yours. So let’s dive in!

 

Step 1 – Evaluate your Previous Goals List

So, my first step when creating my goals list for the year is pulling up the list from the previous year. So, with that said, go grab your “New Year’s Resolution” list from 2020. Got that? Okay.

Now trash it. Chances are, those goals were set for a world that, let’s be honest, doesn’t exist anymore. Sad but true! 

Usually, I do reference my goals list from the previous year. I like to evaluate the expectations I had set for myself. How many of these goals was I able to attain? What were they? Which goals did I struggle with? Why were those goals harder to hit? 

This time, however, I cannot evaluate those 2020 goals because there are reasons bigger than myself that prevented me from attaining some of them. Why wasn’t I able to travel to five new places? Perhaps because there was a pandemic?! Duh.

 

Step 2 – Set Realistic Expectations for Yourself

Let’s talk about expectations. This year especially, your expectations should be low. Not because I don’t believe you’re able to achieve great things in 2021: as a matter of fact, I know you can! I think we should set the bar low because all we really need to do this year is survive. The pandemic is hitting everyone’s productivity, so don’t feel bad about underdelivering. Setting smaller, realistic goals will overall make you feel better about yourself and keep you motivated!

Ever heard of SMART goals? Here is what SMART stands for:

When setting your goals, make sure they are SMART! Your goals should be:

SPECIFIC: Don’t say: “I want to spend more time with family and friends”; say “I want to FaceTime grandma once a week” instead! Narrow your goals down and don’t generalize!

MEASURABLE: Don’t say “I want to save more money”; say “I want to put $5000 in my savings account by December” instead! Using real numbers will motivate you to achieve that goal.

ATTAINABLE: Don’t say “I want to become fit”; say “I want to work out for 30 minutes, three times a week” instead! Rome wasn’t built in a day!

REALISTIC: Don’t say “I want to speak German”; say “I want to dedicate 15 minutes every day to learning German on Duolingo” instead! Don’t wish for something unless you’re actually willing to invest your time and efforts into it.

TIME-BOUND: Don’t say “I want to get organized”; say “I want to organize the kitchen, pantry and living room areas before the summer”. Give yourself a deadline and stick to it!

 

Step 3 – Quality over Quantity 

Do not write a long shopping list of things you’d like to do in 2021. Instead, focus on a few specific things you really want to work on. Some people like to have around 10 New Year’s resolutions – I have nine this year. Others like to focus on 3-5. If you have very specific and narrow ones, it can be hard to keep them under five or even 10. Therefore, I think 10 is a great number for this year!

 

Step 4 – Make’em Measurable

As we covered earlier when we discussed SMART goals, make sure your goals are measurable. Tracking your progress will motivate you! I have a monthly tracker on my bullet journal where I track my Portuguese practice and the time I dedicate to this blog, among other things. 

 

Step 5 – Acknowledge what you’ve already done

I know the spirit of New Year’s Resolutions is to set up new challenges for yourself. However, I do like to use this occasion to also reflect on everything I accomplished the previous year.

One of my goals for 2021 is to make my apartment look and feel even cozier than it is now. This is a goal that I had set for myself last year too. Although the apartment is still a work in progress, I take pride in the things I have changed and accomplished in 2020! I moved things around, got a new couch, built a table… these are all things worth celebrating!

 

Bonus: Develop A Plan

Are you a project management freak? Then you’ll know that the best way to achieve a goal is to divide your path to that goal into small actionable steps. Let’s be honest: goals are overwhelming. That’s why New Year’s Resolutions do not work for most people! 

You wouldn’t run a marathon with no running background. You wouldn’t make Beef Wellington with zero cooking experience. However, breaking down your goal into smaller actionable items will define a path that you can travel. Now, I’m not saying you’ll run that marathon by the end of the year. However, you’re more likely to get there if you do practice running every day – even if only for fifteen minutes, even if it’s for a short distance, as long as you don’t lose your motivation.

 

That’s all I have for today’s goal setting session. Stay tuned though, because I will be sharing my own goals list with you all next week! Until then, you can follow my adventures on Instagram!

What are some of your goals for this year? Let me know in the comments below!